She’d told him very little of what had happened. She had only mentioned that Engram had murdered her family. The details were still too raw for her to speak of.
Sterling was thankful for his company. Without him there was no telling where she would be right now, probably locked up in the dark belly of Sionaad. The Severon prison was notorious for being inescapable. Even tales of the towering white fortress had reached as far north as Shee.
Kellen stood, grabbing a dry shirt from his pack and pulling it over his head. “I’m going to scout the area and make sure our tracks are covered.” He stared at her for a moment. A soft smile touched his lips as he turned and vanished into the darkness.
Sterling watched Kellen as he faded into the night. She was accustomed to this routine now, but the first time Kellen had left her he’d been gone for hours. She’d thought he had abandoned her to the lonely night. She’d been near tears when he emerged from the darkness. She’d not felt such relief in a very long time. Now, Sterling was used to Kellen being gone while he scouted the area to make sure there was no hint of the trail leading to their camp. But tonight, he seemed more solemn than usual. He didn’t have the sparkle in his eyes that normally reassured her.
“Is everything all right?” She asked as he reappeared out of the darkness.
“Huh?” He seemed surprised by her question, “Oh, yes. Everything is fine, the trail is clear and there was no sign of that dog.”
“Maybe we lost him for good this time.” Sterling let out a pent-up breath she hadn’t realized she been holding.
“He is persistent if not anything else.” Kellen crouched by the fire and warmed his hands. “I’m starved,” he added, as he turned a rabbit so the uncooked side was facing the fire.
They fell silent as they ate one of the rabbits Sterling had caught. Only the crackle of the orange fire broke the intense quiet of the night. The meat was delicious and as she took a bite the juice ran down her chin. Sterling quickly wiped her face and licked the remainder from her fingers. She looked up to find Kellen staring at her intently. She could feel her cheeks blush as their eyes connected over the dancing flames. Sterling quickly averted her gaze and pulled the blanket tighter across her shoulders.
“That pendant that you wear, it is quite odd, but it suits you,” he said, breaking the awkward silence.
“Oh this?” she said as she lifted the pendant from between her breasts and held it up to the firelight. “It belonged to my mother, but I don’t know anything else about it.” Sterling examined the blackish-gray stone that had been with her since she was a child. It was a luminescent gray with flecks of silver mixed in, giving the stone an almost ethereal effect in the light. It was a narrow cylindrical shaped pendant that was the length of her fingers. “My uncle always said that as long as I wore this pendant my mother would be close to my heart and she would protect me from harm,” she said. She let the pendant fall back between her breasts as they fell into silence. “A lot of good it’s done me so far.”
“You’re still alive, aren’t you?” Kellen poked the fire. “So, what will you do once you get to Kai’Vari?”
She’d asked herself that same question hundreds of times since she fled the orphanage. Hemi had told her that her father was a Kai’Varian warrior, but he also mentioned that Khort had instructed him to hide her, but from who? The question had swirled around in her head since Hemi had revealed the truth to her. “I suppose I’ll look for my father’s family, though all I have is a name.”
“You should start in Sela’Char, the capital. I hear they keep a record of family names.” Kellen laughed, “You never know, you may even be nobility.”
Sterling giggled at his remark, “I seriously doubt that. My father was a warrior, a soldier, there is no way a soldier would be nobility.”
Kellen offered her a piece of the second rabbit that had been roasting alongside the fire. “Your highness,” he bowed with an over exaggeration, “may I present to you a fine feast of wild rabbit, the taste so delicate it will bring tears to your eyes?”
Sterling pulled a bare arm out from beneath the warmth of the blanket. She took a generous bite of the meat, “A fine feast indeed,” Sterling quipped. “What about you? Where will you go?” she asked around a mouth full of food.
He was silent for a moment, “I haven’t decided, but I’ve heard rumors of a treasure located in Du’Gald. I might try my hand as a treasure hunter.” He laughed at his own comment.
“What kind of treasure?” Sterling was curious.
“Supposedly a treasure of gold was hidden in a volcanic cave.”
“Hmm, sounds interesting.” She sat back and finished off the rabbit.
“You should come with me,” Kellen said after a brief silence.
“What?” Sterling thought she’d heard him wrong, “Come with you?”
“Forget about Kai’Vari, come with me to Du’Gald. The Severon will never find you there.”
Sterling was silent for a moment then shook her head slowly, “No, I need to find my family.”
If he was disappointed, Kellen hid it artfully behind his blue eyes. “Well, if you change your mind…,” his words trailed off as he took another bite of rabbit.
The food was delicious and once her belly was full Sterling could no longer contain the yawn. The rain had stopped, but the cold night air had seeped under her skin. The warmth of the blanket combined with the fire could not keep a shiver from racing down her spine. She looked longingly at her clothes, still drying.
“You better get some rest. The morning will be here soon.” Kellen stood and cleared a space for her to lie down, “I’m afraid we’ve lingered longer than I would have liked.”
Sterling lay down, while Kellen busied himself with checking their packs for the next day. The rhythmic dancing of the fire drew her attention and she had a difficult time looking away. She watched as the flames danced to a silent rhythm. The movement was mesmerizing and the longer she stared the more she was pulled into the dance. The sounds of Kellen rummaging through his pack faded away. The night sounds of crickets and frogs dimmed until all she could hear was the hiss and crackle of the dancing fire. Sterling lost all awareness of her surroundings until it was only she and the flames that remained. Her eyes widened as the flames began to shape and form into familiar images. Tears formed when a tiny image of Hemi appeared in the center of the fire. He stood there looking back at her, hands on his hips as if scolding her. The flame cracked and the image of Hemi was replaced with Brigit. Her tiny visage, just about four inches tall, skipped and hopped about in a circle and then stopped and smiled at Sterling, her little hand waving with exuberance. Brigit reached her hand out as if asking for Sterling to follow her. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she pulled her arm out from the blanket and reached for the little girl’s hand.
“Sterling! What are you doing?” Kellen’s fierce words brought Sterling back. He was holding her hand, stopping her just inches from placing her hand in the flames. “Are you trying to catch yourself on fire?”
Sterling could feel the dampness the tears had left behind still on her face. The feeling of loneliness had left her heart empty and dry. She missed her family so much and the fire had been so kind to let her see them once again.
“Your hands are like ice and you’re shivering. We’ve got to get you warmed up.” Kellen pulled the blanket back and wrapped himself around Sterling before covering them both, “Why didn’t you tell me you were so cold?”
“What are you doing? Get off me!” Sterling tried to push Kellen away. He was too close, his arm wrapped around her holding her flush to his chest.
“Be still. Our combined body heat will warm you in no time.”
Sterling’s face was blazing hot from embarrassment. The length of her body was pressed against Kellen’s as their feet entangled with each other. She could feel every fiber of the cotton pants that were pressed against her legs. There was no inch of her that could not feel the warmth that his body offered. Kellen wrapped hi
s arms around her, moving her face into his neck. His heartbeat thumped strongly beneath her hands, pressed against his bare chest. He held her like that until she no longer shivered. The heat of his body had seeped into hers, relieving the pain the cold had brought on.
He relaxed his arms until she was lying on her back, his arm her pillow. She stared up at the fire lit ceiling of the cave unsure of what to do or say next. “Thank you.” Sterling blushed, how silly the words sounded.
Kellen smiled as he pulled his arm from beneath her and propped his head on the bent arm. “What did you see in the fire?” he asked as he pushed a strand of hair away from her face.
Sterling stared up at the ceiling of the cave searching for the right words, would he understand if she told him what had happened? “Memories,” she said as her eyes returned to his. She was taken aback by their intensity and their intent. She drew in a breath as he leaned toward her. Her heart beat exploded in her chest as she felt his warm breath against her lips.
“I’ve never met anyone like you before,” he whispered just before his lips touched hers. His lips pressed against hers as he deepened the kiss. A shiver ran down the length of her body as his hand wandered up her side to pause alongside her breast. Her body tightened at first, but it relaxed as he pulled her in close to him and deepened the kiss further. A groan escaped his mouth as he rubbed his body along hers. His leg pushed its way between hers as he leaned in to her. His hand was gentle as it caressed her breast. With unexpected pleasure, she felt she would burst out of her skin.
His hand left her breast, for a moment, to cup her cheek as the kiss deepened yet again. The taste of honey filled her senses as he slipped his tongue between her lips. The feeling of his body pressed against hers was like nothing she’d felt before. She moaned into his mouth and ran her hands through his hair, holding him close to her, deepening the kiss.
For a mere moment, their eyes locked. A look of recognition, or remembrance, perhaps, briefly crossed his face.
Sterling was surprised when Kellen pulled away abruptly, breathing heavily and obviously affected by her kiss. His pupils were dilated, and his eyes had a hint of anger shining in them. He turned over, without saying a word, presenting his back to her. “Kellen?” The sudden change confused her. “What’s wrong?”
He mumbled a terse, “Go to sleep,” without turning back toward her.
She muttered, “I don’t under…”
Cutting her off, he said, “Go to sleep Sterling, we’ve a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”
She was confused by his actions and hurt by his dismissal. “Good night, Kellen,” she whispered as she rolled over with her back to him. She lay for some time staring at the flames hoping the images of Hemi and Brigit would return to console her, but the flames never returned to their dance.
She had trouble falling asleep, her body still tingled from Kellen’s touch. Why had he turned away from me? Had she angered him somehow? He seemed to be enjoying the kiss as much as she had, so why turn away? Her face flushed as she thought back to the moment his tongue had pressed against her lips, he had tasted of honey. Sterling thought that odd as her eyelids drooped and she eventually fell asleep.
The nightmares came without delay.
11
Duplicity
Dan’Ruok, 27th Unda, 1021
“Wake up.” The words came from a distance booming from the ravaged sky of the valley. Sterling looked up into the unending rain. “Wake up.” The voice was familiar as it echoed throughout the valley.
Sterling squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and when she opened them she was staring up at the ceiling of the cave. Kellen stood over her with an impatient look in his blue eyes. “We need to get out of here before they find us.” He dropped her dried clothes into her lap. “Get dressed.” She watched as he left her alone in the cave.
Why was he so angry? The kiss they shared flooded her memory and caused her cheeks to burn. “What was I thinking?” she said aloud as she stood and pulled her clothes on. The fabric was stiff from drying overnight, but she was thankful for the warmth. Kellen had already extinguished the fire and readied the horses for travel, but he had not returned by the time she’d finished dressing. She sat down and waited.
She tried not to think about the kiss they’d shared. Why had he turned away so abruptly? Had she angered him somehow? She couldn’t think of anything she had done wrong and he seemed so… eager. She had enjoyed his touch and had not wanted him to stop. If he hadn’t turned away would he have made love to her?
Sterling sat up with a start as a thought came to her. Am I in love with Kellen? She wouldn’t deny the feelings that had grown in her heart toward him. The past weeks they had spent together had felt good despite the Severon on their heels. Do I love Kellen? she thought again. She wasn’t sure she was ready to call the feelings she felt love, but she thought that given time she could fall in love with him. His smile brought light to her darkest moments.
“Are you ready?”
Sterling jumped when the disgruntled words reached her. She stood and wiped the dirt off her trousers, “Yes.”
“Let’s go, the Severon would not have stopped through the night.”
Sterling couldn’t help the scowl that formed. “Well, good morning to you too,” she said under her breath.
“We don’t have time for pleasantries.”
Kellen mounted, but did not wait for Sterling to mount before he rode off down the sloping hill toward a rutted trail that would lead them south through the forest. She pulled herself into the saddle and rode after him. He is being an ass, she thought as she caught up with him. Mimicking one of the younger children at the orphanage, she stuck her tongue out at him. The gesture somehow relieved some of the pent-up anger that had been brewing inside her.
“How long will it be until we reach the border?” She urged her smaller horse to ride alongside his so she could hear his answer, but he ignored her. “It’s been almost a month since we left Hemrac, it couldn’t be that much further could it?” Still nothing. His eyes never veered from the road ahead of them. She tried again, “Another week, do you suppose?”
Finally, he glanced at her. She was taken by the hostility that looked back at her. “We will get there when we get there.” He kicked his horse and rode ahead not looking back.
Sterling felt the blood drain from her face. His words had hurt. She felt a pain in her chest as she watched him get further away. The blood quickly returned as anger replaced the hurt. How dare he treat me that way? she fumed to herself. Playing on her emotions and then throwing her aside like yesterday’s trash.
A pain started radiating from the base of her skull as her anger grew. Great, she thought, he’s given me a headache. She kicked the horse into a gallop until she was riding next to him once again. “What is wrong with you?”
“Nothing,” he said, not looking at her.
The pain increased as her anger grew. “What do you mean nothing? The kiss we shared last night certainly wasn’t nothing.”
“You should just forget about last night.”
“I will,” she said, pulling on the reins so she was no longer beside him. Had she really thought she loved him? For the remainder of the time they spent on the small trail she glared at his back. The pain at the base of her skull had increased as the minutes passed.
Eventually Kellen turned off the path when they reached a dry river bed. “This is a short cut and will throw them off our trail.”
The pain that had started in the base of her skull had nearly engulfed all her senses. She could see that Kellen’s lips were moving, but the words did not reach her. She desperately clung to the horn of the saddle to keep from falling. It took all her control just to stay upright.
“Kellen.” Her words barely made it past her lips before they evaporated into the morning air.
He must have sensed something was wrong. Kellen stopped along the dry bed and turned in the saddle to look at her, but he made no mention of how she looked or how
she was struggling. Instead he dismounted, “We’ll stop here for a moment. My horse seems to have picked up a rock.”
Sterling was thankful for the pause. She gripped the pommel and somehow swung her leg over the saddle and slid down the side of the horse. She leaned against the weight of the animal, drawing in deep breaths hoping to ease the pain that had now encompassed her entire body. Every inch of her throbbed in time with the pain centered at the base of her skull, “Kellen, help.” Her words were barely audible.
I must get to Kellen, she thought, he will help me. She carefully pushed away from the horse, holding on with one hand. She started walking toward Kellen, who was bent over examining the front hoof of his horse, his back to her.
The morning sun was blinding as it topped the tree line along the banks of the dried river bed. Sterling put her hand up to shield her eyes from the painful light. “Kellen,” she spoke softly. She took another cautious step toward his bent head, but still he did not hear her. The pain continued to radiate throughout her body, but it had somewhat lessened in intensity. “Kellen,” she said his name again as she came up beside him. “Kellen, help me.” Why can’t I speak louder? she thought. Why can’t he hear me? She looked over his shoulder just as he released the hoof. “Kellen, my head,” she gasped as the pain intensified to the point she thought she’d black out.
Kellen turned to face her but avoided eye contact with Sterling. Instead, his eyes were focused on something behind her. As she started to turn to see what had his attention the world around her went black as a bag was thrown over her head. The pain that had consumed her suddenly vanished releasing her body from its paralyzing effects. Her hand went up and tried to pry the dusty fabric from her face. However, the more she struggled the more difficult it was for her to breathe with the dust that filled the bag. A fit of coughing erupted from her lungs.
“Stop struggling.” The thick fabric of the bag muffled Kellen’s words. He took hold of her hands and wrapped a rope around her wrist, the coarse fibers abrading her skin. She tried yanking her hands out of his, but he pulled them back and finished tying her hands together. He released his hold, but he did not step away. She could feel the warmth of his body as he stepped closer to her, his hands went to her shoulders as he leaned into her, his mouth beside her ear. “I am sorry,” he whispered to her. He pushed back, ripping the chain from around her neck as he stepped away.
The Elemental Union: Book One Devian Page 8